(Sports Network) - The Buffalo Sabres will aim for their seventh consecutive victory this evening, when they host the rival Ottawa Senators at HSBC Arena.

The Sabres began the season slowly and were in the basement of the Northeast Division for much of the year. However, the recent surge now has them two points ahead of last-place Toronto and just one point behind Boston and Montreal for second place in the division.

Ottawa is in first with 50 points -- 11 more points than Buffalo.

The last two victories for the Sabres came in a home-and-home series with Philadelphia. After notching a 3-2 home win over the Flyers on Friday, Buffalo went down to Philly on Saturday and posted a thrilling shootout victory.

Ales Kotalik scored the lone shootout goal, and Ryan Miller was perfect at the other end as the Sabres swept the home-and-home set with a 6-5 win at the Wachovia Center.

Kotalik's wrist shot snuck under the glove of Flyers goaltender Martin Biron, while Miller wrapped up the game with a diving poke check against Philadelphia's Jeff Carter.

Jason Pominville notched a goal and three assists, while Kotalik and Maxim Afinogenov each had a goal and a helper for Buffalo, which has won 13 of its last 17 overall. Jaroslav Spacek and Thomas Vanek also lit the lamp, and Miller finished with 31 saves.

The Sabres are 11-6-0 at home this season and have won three straight and four of their last five tests at HSBC Arena.

Meanwhile, the Senators have won seven of their last nine outings and ended a two-game slide with Sunday's triumph at Madison Square Garden. Chris Kelly scored the deciding goal as Ottawa posted the 3-1 road victory over the New York Rangers.

Mike Fisher added a goal for Ottawa and Jason Spezza also scored to extend his points streak to seven games. Martin Gerber stopped 34 shots in the win.

Spezza's linemate Dany Heatley was held off the scoresheet and had his points streak halted at seven games.

Ottawa is 12-3-2 as the visiting team this season and is playing the second of two straight on the road tonight.

Ottawa and Buffalo have split a pair of meetings this season and the Senators have taken six of the last nine encounters. However, the Sens have been defeated in three straight trips to HSBC Arena.